The present invention is directed to a roll separation assembly for separating adjacent rolls on a conveyor line carrying serially positioned roll workpieces. Often, large rolls of paper and other materials, such as films or metals are placed on conveyors where the roll workpieces are positioned closely adjacent to one another. It is not unusual to have rolls weighing in excess of 2600 pounds (1180 kilograms) and having diameters between 24 inches and 72 inches (0.61 m. to 1.83 m.).
When the rolls reach a desired workstation, it is necessary to move predetermined ones of the rolls transversely off the conveyor. The close proximity of serially positioned rolls often make them difficult to move transversely. Accordingly, they must be separated prior to such movement.
In the prior art, a common method of separation is a manual separation. An operator manually separates the rolls and with the use of a ramp, moves the desired rolls transversely. As the rolls become larger in width the manual manipulation of the rolls becomes inefficient.
The prior art has attempted to solve the problem by providing aligned first and second conveyors, where the serially positioned adjacent rolls are moved along one conveyor and then deposited on the second conveyor. In an attempt to achieve roll separation, the second conveyor is moved at an increased speed relative to the speed of the first conveyor. However, it has been found that such a separation method often results in the tearing or damaging of the rolls as they are moved between the first and second conveyors.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved roll separation assembly, for separating serially positioned rolls on a conveyor line.